Bendigo Corner Store Cafe

It’s great when you find a daytime dining venue that ticks all of the boxes that the large and varied daytime dining audience may require.  It's even better when you discover this in a regional location.

The Bendigo Corner Store Cafe certainly leaves nothing unticked.  Previously a corner store in the upper residential part of the well-known View Street it is now a cafe that has not forgotten its humble beginnings.  You can still buy your daily newspaper, along with a loaf of bread from the local bakery ‘The Good Loaf’ and even post a letter in the post box out the front.

Open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, the menu is tantalising and beautifully supplemented with a daily specials board.  I’m a sucker for a good breakfast and the Corner Store Cafe does not disappoint.  Breakfast ranges from sour dough toast to porridge with fried banana and stewed rhubarb, to ricotta pancakes to a big breaky with free-range eggs.  Lunch is also enticing offering delicious gourmet sandwiches to a roast vegetable salad with quinoa to the open steak sandwich.  The kids’ menu is also very thoughtful with the usual favourites and some fun healthy options.  I’d go as far to say that it’s one of the best kids menus I have seen.

The wonderful thing about their menus is that there are various vegetarian, gluten and dairy free options.  As there is with the milk choices for coffee – organic, full fat, low fat, soy, lactose free and oat milk.  Now that is truly thinking of everyone!  The passion for coffee is evident here.  The barista is attached to his machine and makes every cup with precision and expertise.  On offer is the house blend, a single origin barista special of the day and organic decaf.  All beans are roasted from a boutique roaster in Melbourne and are 100% organic fair trade.

There is a small but well thought out beverage list with the usual non alcoholic suspects and fresh juices or you can enjoy a glass of bubbles, a beer or a cider with your eggs and bacon or house made veggie burger.  Sit out the front and watch the world go by, chill out in the lounge or sit out the back under an umbrella and watch the kids play in the sandpit.  Finish all this off with one of the amazing cakes or cookies on display at the front counter.  Who said you can’t have cake for breakfast?

Food – 8/10

Service – 7/10

Ambiance – 8/10

Bendigo Corner Store Cafe

305 View Street, Bendigo Victoria.

Open Monday – Friday 7.30am – 6pm/Saturday – Sunday 8.30 – 4pm

Phone – (03) 5442 2008

Moroccan Pumpkin Soup

Winter days always make me want to eat soup.  I can’t get enough of it.  It’s probably one of the best things about winter, eating a bowl of yummy hot soup.  Another is a glass of red wine by the fire.  Put all three together and you are sure to be in some sort of winter heaven.

The challenges with wanting to eat soup every day of winter is variety and finding soups that are healthy.  Yes that’s right, some soups aren’t healthy!  The ones that are full of cream or contain particular ingredients can be quite disagreeable to those with certain dietary requirements.

Recently I created a delicious soup that is gluten free, dairy free, low fat, vegetarian and very quick and easy to make.  Just in time before it officially becomes spring.

What you need;

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (I used Cobram Estate*)

1 brown onion – diced

2 cloves garlic - crushed

2 kg Kent pumpkin – peeled and chopped into even sized pieces (about 3cm)

1 medium sweet potato – peeled and chopped into even sized pieces (about 3 cm)

1 medium carrot – chopped into even sized pieces about 3 cm

375 grams tinned chickpeas

3-4 tablespoons of Moroccan Spice (I used Coles* brand)

1.5 litres of vegetable stock (I used Vegeta*)

Salt & pepper to taste

Meredith* goats cheese – crumbled to serve

What you do:

Heat oil in a large pot.  Add onion and garlic and fry until translucent.   Add pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot and Moroccan spice and stir over medium heat coating the vegetables with the spice, onion and garlic.  Do this for about 1 minute.

Pour in stock, turn heat to high and bring to the boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low until all vegetables are soft.  Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool before blending until smooth.

When you are happy with the consistency of the soup – it should be smooth and thick – place back on a low heat and add the chickpeas and the salt and pepper.  Keep on low heat for about ten to fifteen minutes.

Serve with some crumbled Meredith goats cheese and some gluten free sour dough bread.

Delightful!  Enjoy friends.

*I receive no financial gain from the brands of the products that I have named in this soup.  They are only my preference – you are welcome to use any brand you desire.